This invention relates to the automated fitting of insulative foam inserts into the cores of masonry building blocks and, more particularly, to a machine which laterally compresses pairs of inserts and fits them sequentially into the cores of building blocks in compressed condition.
While the use of foam inserts in building blocks has been known for some time, it has generally been the practice to manually fit such inserts into the cores of the building blocks at the block plant or the building site.
It has also been known to insulate the cavities, or cores, in masonry building blocks by injecting expandable or foamable polymeric materials, including thermoplastic beads, or particles, such as polystyrene and causing the particles to foam in-place within the cavities of the masonry blocks.
The following patents disclose various methods and apparatus of the type heretofore used in insulating masonry blocks: U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,239, dated Apr. 24, 1979, U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,539, dated Jun. 30, 1981 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,810, dated Oct. 20, 1981.
The '239 and the '810 Patents, referred to above, disclose methods of filling the cavities of masonry blocks with expandable, foamable insulating materials. In those methods, however, the materials costs are not commensurate with the quantum of improvement in the R-value of the blocks so-insulated. This failing was apparently recognized by Abbott in the '539 Patent, supra, in which a building block is placed upon a lower platen 30 with an upper platen 34 having a downwardly extending plug member 36. Steam passages are formed with openings communicating with the surrounding spaces into which the resin particles are injected. The result is that the polystyrene liner 24, when foamed in situ, is of sufficient thickness to provide adequate insulation in the block without the excessively high materials cost of the earlier methods. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art, however, that this later method and apparatus are not entirely suitable for use at conventional building sites or block plants because of its complexity, high cost and the specialized skills required for properly operating such apparatus.
Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for fitting preformed insulative foam inserts into the cores or cavities of building blocks which are inexpensive, easy to use and can be operated at the block plant or building site by operators who may not possess the necessary special skills or special training of the type required for carrying out the previously available methods. The inserts are preferably of the type disclosed in out co-pending application entitled: INSULATIVE FOAM INSERTS FOR MASONRY BUILDING BLOCKS, Ser. No. 07/726,973, filed Jul. 8, 1991.
Another object of this invention is to provide a machine for simultaneously fitting pairs of compressible insulative foam inserts into the cores of masonry building blocks by compressing each of the inserts as they are being inserted into the cores of such blocks.